My Diwali bonus this year was spending three days over the Diwali weekend with Amma, Indu Shedde. What I love about spending time with Amma, who is 95 and lives in Panvel, two hours from Bombay, is that time stands absolutely still. First, my WiFi connection there is very dicey, so it immediately means I can’t regularly work/check emails/ watch films. This can be frustrating—or a blessing.

I was deeply humbled and honoured when Amma agreed to let me give her a Diwali “head bath”. It is an affirmation of deep trust. I see how vulnerable, yet feisty, my body can be if and when I get to her age. Also, it allows me to notice that her ankles are red with scratches, of which she is unaware. Amma wears her favourite, elegant blue and white sari for Diwali. It took me years to persuade her to switch from a sari to a practical nightgown/daygown/housecoat—India’s national costume; even now, she still wears the sari all by herself.